Legal question about Antique vehicles and the seat belt laws

There is no easy way to answer the question that has been posed about seat belt laws.

I practiced law in Pittsburgh, PA for over 25 years and did a lot of vehicle cases - speeding tickets, DUI's, improper registration, etc. Pittsburgh has several interstate highways passing through it and is within a 30 minute drive to the States of W.Va. and Ohio. consequently, i would often be giving legal advice to a PA resident with a PA license who had received a vehicle ticket of some kind in W.Va. or Ohio.

All the States have vastly different vehicle laws. Some States have strict "inspection" standards and requirements and others (Ohio) have rather lax vehicle inspection rules. The same is true with their "moving violations."

The answer to the seat belt requirement for your van obviously depends upon what State you have that registered in and what State (or States) you are going to drive through. Remember, when you cross over into another State, you "may" be subject to their motor vehicle laws. Generally, if your "out of State" vehicle is in violation of the vehicle code of the State you are stopped in, the Officer will "usually" issue a warning ticket and let you go. BUT THEY DON'T HAVE TOO! If the cop wants to be a problem, he can tell you that the vehicle cannot be driven and that you will have to have it towed back to your State.

Another thing to bear in mind is that all the States that are "contiguous" to one another have "cooperative agreements" with each other regarding motor vehicle laws. Thus, a speeding ticket received in North Carolina will be processed against a person who lives in South Carolina by the South Carolina Dept. of Motor Vehicles.

My best advice regarding "seat belts" is to find out what the State that you are going to drive your van in requires. As noted above, some of the States still exempt vehicles manufactured before 1968 from the seat belt laws. Some States do not. AND - most States treat "antique vehicles" differently, however, the vehicle has to be registered and licensed as an "antique" vehicle to qualify for these certain exceptions.

As with all questions of law, you have to talk to a lawyer in the State that your are interested in finding out the answer to a specific legal question for that State.

hope this helps a bit...